Thursday, September 18, 2008

2 for 2

Although I love to run when it is overcast, I can't ignore the beauty of a picture perfect day. Today was definitely one of those days!!

For the first 2 miles we walked with friends and an older dog that was teaching Lucy how to behave and follow Mom off leash. Then we bid good-bye, sent the puppy inside to rest, and I took off for my run.The walk had been a leisurely social pace so I went ahead and ran a full 2 miles. The first mile felt great, but at about the one mile mark my feet started feeling like they had weights hanging off of them. I considered cutting the run short, but decided to go just a bit farther.I'm so glad I did because the heavy feeling lifted and I comfortably ran the second mile. Not until the last tenth did my heart rate finally go up, signaling I had hit the end of my stamina, but I went ahead and pushed for the last bit and then walked a cool down back to the house.

As I struggle to get back to last year's fitness level, I'm constantly reminding myself of how far I have come, even with only today's level of progress. Walking and running reminded me of when my RA first blazed from my head to my toes. I had a 3 year old at the time, an age where they still take many tumbles, so it helps to be quick on your feet.I had taken a few quick steps to catch a falling toddler many times, but suddenly, taking three quick steps sent pain up both legs like electric shocks. I was stunned! I eventually learned to work around it, but it was about 2 years before making the same quick movements ceased to catch my attention. I did a lot of walking during those years, but I didn't run unless it was a dire emergency, and even then I only ran until I realized what I was doing.